Los Angeles, CA

May 2014

Devon Tarby discovered her bartending abilities while working on a degree in Music Business and Audio Engineering at the University of Southern California. Outside the classroom, she developed a keen interest in the industry at large. And fortunately for the drinking public she happened to be in Los Angeles when craft cocktails were first taking off. Once she discovered the kind of hands-on craftsmanship of venues like The Varnish, Tarby opted for real-deal experience instead of pursuing culinary school.

After harassing Eric Alperin for about six months, Tarby ended up as a host at The Varnish, but it didn’t take her long to get behind the bar. And that’s where she met Alex Day in 2010, who also worked behind the bar at The Varnish. He had recently moved to L.A. from New York (and Death & Co). Noticing her natural talent and drive, Day and Dave Kaplan brought Tarby into their company, Proprietors, LLC, where she’s worked for the last three and a half years, opening hot spots like Honeycut, becoming partner, and designing and implementing training and beverage programs across the country as part of the trendsetting Proprietors team. In 2014, Tarby earned a StarChefs Rising Star Bartender Award for her work at Honeycut.